''Icarus at the Edge of Time'' is a 2008 children's book written by the physicist Brian Greene and illustrated by Chip Kidd with images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Plot introduction

The book is a science fiction retelling of

Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...

' tale. It is about a young man who runs away from his traveling, deep-space home to explore a black hole.

Reception

'' Publishers Weekly'' review said, "Attractive on the shelf as both contemporary and science-focused, it is exactly what the author is trying to accomplish with his re-told fable, as well as a fine treatment of already beautiful imagery; not a lot of pushing and pulling is needed." A Trashotron review said, "fiction space opera as well as a new kind of children's book. It really does hold up with an appeal for anyone who is interested in science, storytelling or fathers and sons. That might add up to a sizable audience. They'll be well-rewarded, and it's good that the book can withstand multiple readings. It will get read and re-read; it is, after all, a myth." Booklist in their review called the novel "clever, charming, and mind-expanding, the perfect vehicle for conveying the astonishingly supple nature of space, time, and the human mind."

Film adaptation

In 2010, ''Icarus at the Edge of Time'' was made into a film by the British filmmakers

AL and AL Al Holmes and Al Taylor also known as AL and AL are British filmmakers and visual artists. Known for their surrealist films, they combine live action performance with computer generated environments to create dream worlds in film. Since 2001 the ...

. It was written by Greene and the playwright David Henry Hwang, with an original score by

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, and narrated by LeVar Burton."Icarus at the Edge of Time" Opens the 2012 World Science Festival, WNET, New York, May 21, 2012
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References

External links

Official website, icarusattheedgeoftime.com

A reading of the abridged version

Chip Kidd on designing the book

Trailer for the film adaptation
2008 American novels Alfred A. Knopf books Books by Brian Greene Books with cover art by Chip Kidd Films scored by Philip Glass Classical mythology in popular culture Fiction about black holes American novels adapted into films {{2000s-sf-novel-stub